Child advocacy groups in New Hampshire watched the Jerry Sandusky trial closely and officials said they hope it will encourage other victims to come forward.

The former Penn State assistant football coach was sentenced Tuesday for sexually abusing several boys over a 15-year period. The 68-year-old will spend at least 30 years in prison.

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"It brought up stuff for me because I had a similar past," abuse survivor Kerry Sheehan said.

Sheehan said it's disconcerting to her that Sandusky denied any wrongdoing even after being convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse.

"As survivors, you never get used hearing them just saying, 'It's not what you think it was,' or, 'It wasn't as bad as it was,'" Sheehan said.

At Bridges in Nashua, counselors offer support to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking.

Officials said the essentially life sentence for Sandusky is a victory for victims of abuse.

"The sentencing was very fair and I think that the victims of his abuse got justice," Bridges Executive Director Dawn Reams said.

At the Child Advocacy Center in Portsmouth, they work to identify victims of abuse and say the sentencing is an important step forward in getting rid of the secrecy that often surrounds abuse.

"Many people at the university and around that football team quiet in regards to abuse," said Maureen Sullivan of the Child Advocacy Center.

Normally WMUR would not identify victims, but Sheehan said she hopes that sharing her story will encourage others to feel more comfortable about coming forward to report abuse or even talk about abuse.

"It's just a cycle that never stops and if we don't start talking about it, we don't start opening up about it, it's going to keep happening," Sheehan said.

If you suspect that someone you know is the victim of abuse you can call the state's child abuse report line that number is 1-800-894-5533.